Massimo Rivola on Aprilia’s rise from last to first in MotoGP

Aprilia arrives in Jerez this weekend on the back of five consecutive grand prix wins, stretching back to Portimao last year. Considering how dominant Ducati was, few would have expected such a remarkable change in the competitive landscape in MotoGP.

Aprilia’s ascent to the top is also impressive when you consider that it finished at the bottom of the manufacturers’ championship every year from 2016 to 2021. In the seasons since, it has not only shed its backmarker image but emerged as a genuine pacesetter in MotoGP.

Motorsport.com Italy sat down with Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola to chart the Noale factory’s rise to the top in MotoGP.

Motorsport.com: Aprilia, under your direction, has gone from being last in the Constructors’ Championship to leading – at least for now – all the MotoGP standings. What does that feel like?

Massimo Rivola: After three races you can’t talk about final standings, unfortunately. It gives great satisfaction, which fuels the motivation we have here in Noale – one of the key ingredients of this company. The human drive, combined with the professionalism, skill, and talent of our people, together with the technological hardware we have here in Noale, have created an excellent mix of ingredients to achieve a good result so far.

MS: Where has Aprilia changed the most since your arrival?

MR: Without a doubt we’ve grown a lot in terms of people. We’ve strengthened areas that were previously just covered, but are now significantly reinforced. Let’s not forget that until 2021 we were with Gresini; then 2022 was the turning point and we became a factory team. We also created the trackside management structure with mechanics, and gave the factory team a clear identity alongside the other four manufacturers. It was a strong signal of trust from the Piaggio Group. Often, when you have more responsibility, you bring out your full potential.

MS: In these seven years you’ve gone from being hunters to – at least right now – being the hunted. But beyond the results, what stands out most is how you’ve overtaken all your rivals in aerodynamics. You’re now the benchmark in MotoGP, and if I had to sum it up in one word, I’d say: innovation.

MR: I’m glad you say that, because innovation is in Noale’s DNA – it always has been. Even at the debut in what wasn’t yet called MotoGP, when four-strokes returned, the Cube – by the way, I have a beautiful one here in my office – was the first bike with pneumatic valves, the first with carbon airbox pressure, the first with ride-by-wire. All things we take for granted today, but Aprilia had already tried them back then.

That innovative spirit has always been here in Noale, and that’s wonderful. From an aerodynamic point of view, if you remember the first race in Qatar, I immediately caused that fuss with the famous ‘spoon.’ For me, it was both an internal and external message: on one hand, ‘We’re not here just to take part,’ and we don’t want anyone to make a fool of us – we want better-written rules. On the other hand, it was to show that if we work in the grey areas of aerodynamics, we can become the best.

We invested heavily in this area, thanks also to highly skilled personnel and very motivated university graduates. This has been one of the areas I personally believed in the most, because from my previous experience I knew how much performance could be found there. I also think it’s right to give each bike its own identity – to plant a flag, so to speak. I remember in the past the engine was ‘from Bologna’ when they entered MotoGP; today I like to say that aerodynamics is clearly something that belongs more to us.

MS: What is the key principle you set when designing a MotoGP bike? You’re now working on two bikes – the current RS-GP and the 850cc – so when you start from a blank sheet, what’s the first word you use before moving to design?

MR: Courage. The courage to innovate, the courage to invent, not being afraid to make mistakes. Because if you don’t make mistakes, it means you’re going slowly. It’s the same for a rider – if they never make mistakes, they’re not really at the limit. When you’re always at the limit, you make mistakes. As [Marco] Bezzecchi says: ‘You’re always on that line where from hero to idiot it takes a second.’ We need the same approach.

Sometimes we’ll look like fools, sometimes like heroes. The important thing is knowing we’re neither, but believing we can do our job well.

MS: You mentioned the riders. Bezzecchi has started the season almost perfectly, while Jorge Martin is improving race by race. Maybe he’s not yet at his physical peak, but the impression is that he’s already very close to Marco. Should we expect an internal derby between them in the coming months? And… Aprilia rules?

MR: I’ll get in touch with my [former] colleague Andrea Stella to set up the ‘black rules’! (laughs) It’s true that Martin isn’t at 100% physically [fit] yet, and I think he’s still missing something at the very end of races. Sometimes he still has to think about things rather than acting instinctively, so I believe he still has room to grow.

Above all, he has a reference point in Marco, who is at a very high level, and the data is shared. For these reasons, Jorge has a big advantage right now – he has no pressure. Naturally, the pressure is more on Marco, who has been imposing himself since the end of last year. Jorge also has the advantage of already having won a world championship, unlike Marco, so he has less to prove and can probably enjoy things with less pressure after what happened last year.

If we end up having this ‘problem’ – Aprilia riders fighting each other for the title – then great, I’d love it. But I don’t think it will be just them. I think Marc Marquez will be in the fight, in fact I believe the championship will really start in Jerez. Then there’s Pedro Acosta, who’s doing something truly remarkable – he’s one of those riders who makes a difference. And Ducati certainly hasn’t disappeared – they’ve been first and second in the sprints.

I think they have a slight edge over us on the soft tire, while we have something more on the medium, in terms of how we use them. So the fact that they might struggle a bit at the end of races could give us an advantage – but it might only be temporary. I think it’s going to be a fantastic championship.

I’ve always said this, even last year, when many called it a transition season before the new regulations. I’ve always believed it’s actually the most important championship in history – because these are the fastest bikes ever: 300 horsepower per litre, nearly 370 km/h at Mugello, extremely advanced aerodynamics, ride-height devices, bikes that reach 200 km/h in four seconds. They’re two-wheeled aircraft. And having the label of the fastest bikes ever is something everyone wants – even those who say it doesn’t matter that much.

MS: Aerodynamics is a hot topic. It’s crucial for the 2026 MotoGP bikes, but we know things will change for the 850cc era. In your opinion, will aerodynamics become less important, or will it remain a key factor, even if in a different way?

MR: It will have a different importance because we’ll simply have a smaller fairing to work with. But I’m one of those who believes it will still be extremely important. We clearly want to maintain our technological leadership in this area, so it’s about having the courage to keep inventing something that can bring results – and maybe be transferred to production bikes, or at least to our X models, which are very special and very close to MotoGP bikes.

Customers –the lucky ones who can afford them – want to try something that only MotoGP riders usually experience. Something even an amateur can appreciate. Of course, it’s difficult, because an amateur probably can’t trigger aerodynamic effects the way professionals do. But it’s also a way to better appreciate what our riders do – MotoGP riders are truly special athletes.

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Photo by: David Buono / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

MS: So far we’ve already seen all the 850cc bikes on track – except Aprilia. When will we see your new weapon?

MR: We’re definitely not in a hurry – and not because we don’t care about 2027. Simply put, we’re not in a rush. After the Jerez week, in a private test, we’ll start running the 2027 bike on track, but it’s more of a hybrid prototype to gather some data on engine management and correlation with the dyno.

We’re not in a hurry partly because we don’t want to reveal our cards, but also because one of Aprilia’s strengths today is – let’s say it in a cool way – time to market. From the moment we have an idea to when we put it on track, we’re very fast. That’s one of the secrets of performance in anything: speed in decision-making and execution.

Every year I’ve always said our best bike would be the next one – simply because I’ve always seen a growing company. And if the company grows, the result – our bike – will inevitably be better than the previous year.

MS: You hold a very important role in Aprilia Racing, but you’re also president of the MSMA. How do you balance these two commitments, considering you must act in Aprilia’s interest but also represent other manufacturers?

MR: In the past, this role was more symbolic. I’ve taken it very seriously. We’ve gone from three to four meetings a year to 30-40. There’s also the opportunity of a new five-year contract with Dorna, now MotoGP Sport Group, with Liberty. There are opportunities to improve our conditions.

MotoGP has reached this level not only because Dorna created strong regulations, but also because manufacturers have invested huge sums – over a billion euros in five years. I’m not authorised to talk about what we’re working on, out of respect for the other manufacturers.

So how do I manage both roles? It’s about priorities, enthusiasm, the desire to work, and the luck of doing a job that matches your passion – which for me is racing. There’s no secret.

MS: Ducati and Aprilia are two Italian factory teams, and I think Italian fans are largely divided between these two brands. Next year Ducati will field two Spanish riders. Can we say that Aprilia could become a sort of Italian national team, given it will be entirely Italian?

MR: Well, I’d certainly like that. I’d like it to be seen that way. Having all Italian riders would be great – including Lorenzo Savadori, our test rider – as well as the Piaggio Group ownership that has continued to invest more and more in us, and Noale itself with its history of 54 world titles.

So yes, of course it has to be earned on track, through work. All the ingredients are there – we’ll see. That’s definitely one of the goals.

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— The Motorsport.com Team